DeGeorge, meanwhile, is a graduate student who transferred to Ohio State after competing at conference rival Bemidji State the past four seasons. The forward is earning her master's degree in bioethics and plans to work in neonatal nursing, and she will begin an internship at the Mayo Clinic in July.
As good as they are as hockey players, they might be even more impressive off the ice. Which is one of the things that makes it so cool that they are so accomplished on the ice, as DeGeorge had two goals (including the game winner) and Jaques one in Saturday's win over Quinnipiac that sent the No. 1-seeded Buckeyes to the third Frozen Four in school history. The Buckeyes now have a chance to capture the program's first NCAA title when they step on the ice Friday in State College, Pa., against No. 5 Yale.
READ MORE: Jaques leads way for OSU | OSU women grow game at Hockey For Her
And there's probably no more battle-tested team than Ohio State that remains in the field. The Buckeyes won the hardest conference in the game, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, by capturing the league tournament with comeback wins in the semifinals vs. traditional powers Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Then in Saturday's game against the No. 7-ranked Bobcats, Ohio State again showed its mettle. The Buckeyes trailed 1-0 in the game and then overcame giving up the game-tying goal in the final two minutes to down the Bobcats on DeGeorge's goal 2:05 into the second overtime.
Ohio State outshot QU by a 77-22 margin, yet had to persevere through more than 80 minutes of hockey -- and the sixth-most saves ever in an NCAA Division I game by Bobcats goalie Corinne Schroeder -- to get the victory in front of a sellout crowd at the OSU Ice Rink.
It's what head coach Nadine Muzerall refers to as the "relentless pursuit" of the team's goals.
"I think that's us believing in each other," Muzerall said. "When we played Wisconsin in the (WCHA) semifinals, we were down, we came back. We were playing Minnesota (in the conference title game), the dinner table was set for them being at home with their band and their mascot, and we came back from two goals down and won.
"I think this shows the belief in one another, the no quit, the relentless pursuit. The dinner table was set for us tonight, I was excited with the crowd and appreciate all the fans, but I think it just shows their character, how they didn't quit."
For Jaques, the Buckeyes' leading scorer and a finalist for the national player of the year honor, the Patty Kazmaier Award, the team aspect of it is what makes Ohio State so formidable.
"I think it was just about not taking anything for granted," she said after the game. "I think a lot of people outside of our team were looking past this game, but we knew it was going to be a battle. Just going out there and sticking with hard work all game and not getting frustrated, we had a lot of chances, so eventually we could get the bounces and we just kept working hard."
There are plenty of reasons Ohio State is in the mix to make program history -- Jaques' dominance, two goalies who allow less than two goals per game, the leadership crew of captain Liz Schepers and alternate Paetyn Levis, and the depth to average nearly five goals per game -- but the addition of DeGeorge might be the perfect example of why the Buckeyes are where they are.
The transfer has taken little time to adjust to the squad, posting 15 goals and 44 points in 36 games in her lone season as a Buckeye. But she's also the kind of character person who wanted to be a part of the Ohio State locker room who can push a team over the top.
"I was at Bemidji State and I loved the team there, got a degree coming out of there," the Anchorage, Alaska, native said. "I transferred here because I wanted this opportunity to pursue hockey and keep getting better. Muzz gave me the chance to come out here, and it's paid off. I've learned a lot this year, not just about myself but the game of hockey. It's awesome, so I came out here to a) play hockey and b) also get my master's because school is important.
"(This year) has been everything and more (than I could have imagined). It's not just winning the WCHA and going to NCAAs. It's the relationships I've made here with all of my friends. It's been a crazy ride, but we still have one more week. We have the goal of winning it all, so we'll see what happens next."
